wedge question/wisdom?!?

[G10_Jamie]

I bought some Ping G10 irons but only got through PW which is 46*. I am looking for more loft and my golf guy seems to think ordering the 3 ping wedges is the right choice but I was looking for a second opinion.
He sells everything from Nike to Callaway and has the Volkey too.
What are the thoughts on getting a matched set of wedges that are identical to my irons vs going with specialized irons? If I go the Ping G10 route I would get the 50*, 54* and 56* models.

Thanks in advance

jamie

[chingali]

After your putter and then probably driver wedges for most people will be the next most used clubs in the bag for the majority of decent golfers so they are very important in your bag setup so take your time and get what you need. Given the huge variety of loft/bounce/shaft combinations available from all of the manufacturers these days I wouldn't be too worried about matching up your brand of wedges to your irons. What I would suggest you do is buy whichever wedges you like the look and feel of the most. Pick up a lot of different ones and look at them in the address position, some of them will give you confidence and others probably won't. Pick out the ones that you like the look of and then see if you can hit some balls (off grass and out of sand) with them and decide which of them feel the best and they are the ones you should buy.

Next up is deciding on the loft/bounce combination. Considering that your current PW is 46* (which if you go back a few years would have been a 9 iron) I'd suggest getting something like a 50*/54*/58* setup probably with the bounce at 6*/12*/6* or thereabouts. Basically your 50*/6* (GW) is a normal old fashioned PW loft and bounce, the 54*/12* is a traditional SW for bunker play and fairway use and the 58*/6* is a lob wedge. If you start out with something along those lines you won't go too far wrong and you can fine tune the setup from there. The truth of the matter when it comes to wedge setups is really pretty simple, practice a LOT with whatever you have and you will be good with them, don't practice a LOT and tinkering with this and that combination won't help.

Talk to your clubfitter about getting them fit to suit you and also about the ideal loft/bounce setup as he should have seen you swinging a club more than once and will have a better idea of what would be suitable than some random web poster would and you won't look back.

And finally, I think that the Ping option is a good one because they are manufactured from 17-4 Stainless Steel and therefore are very durable when compared to softer mild steel forgings. Yeah yeah yeah I know I know that wedges are about feel, however to the vast majority of players this is such a fussy little thing that they will never know the difference. The beauty of 17-4 Stainless Steel is that it still feels softish, but it will last for a long long time compared to a mild steel forging, and if you take the advice and practice with your wedges a lot you aren't going to have to be changing them every year or so. It's a shame when you have been using something for ages that you really like and are confident with and then it wears out and needs replacement causing you to go through the whole selection/fine tuning/practice cycle again.

[NorCalGolfer]

yeah, what he said.

[G10_Jamie]

Thanks for the info, it actually makes a lot of sense!

jamie

[DynamicDave]

honestly, i use kroydon "paul harney" professional swing balanced irons made in the late 1970's. its a set from 2-pw. i have no trouble hitting these and prefer to hit long irons over hybrids. for my wedges i use prosimmon icon 52 and 60 degree. i bought the wedges at golf outlets usa, online. each wedge was $9 thru their ebay store. maybe its just my technique, but i hit these like a pro as well. i rarely have to chip or pitch. so i say save some money and get a economic wedge set and spend your money on driving range practicing your technique. golf is a game where u must make your own breakthrough. i did. putting is where i need practice!!!!!!!
one thing: my clubs are pro standard muscleback, not oversized or cavity back.

[CG031]

Yeah, I would go 52 degree, 56 degree, and 60 degree. It should cover everything you need!

[tjy355]

Ping makes the G10 with 50, 54 and 58 deg. wedges.

I would definitely get the 50* UW. (aka gap wedge)

Some like to have a SW that matches their set, others like to have a different brand/style. I like a different style myself - probably just old fashioned because it used to be that sets rarely included a SW.

I don't use a lob wedge, but that is a personal preference.

[Jaybone]

If you are going to go with Ping wedges I would go with the Tour Series over the G10's. I find the Game Improvement Wedges really thick and not nearly as playable as a nicer wedge like Cleavland's, Mizuno's,Vokey etc.

[907golfer12]

All I can say is hit different wedges, and order ones you like. I have the i10's, which have the same lofts as the G10, and to keep even distance gaps I went with 50*, 54*, and 58*. But again try thing and get what you want.